November’s performance of the month: Tim Krul

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Any body part will do as Tim Krul denies Tottenham Hotspur’s Younes KaboulRichard Pelham

Tim Heming

Last updated at 4:04PM, December 4 2013

After a perfect four wins from four matches the French foreign legion on
Tyneside are once again hitting the goals and the headlines in Newcastle
United’s Barclays Premier League rise.

Behind them, though, is Tim Krul, a 25-year-old, 6ft 4in Dutchman in the form
of his career and according to Alan Pardew, his manager, “one of the best”
goalkeepers in the division.

Andre Villas-Boas, the Tottenham Hotspur head coach, would no doubt agree
after Krul produced a remarkable 14 saves, the most by any goalkeeper in the
Premier League this season, as the visiting side edged a 1-0 victory at
White Hart Lane on November 10.

Among those denied in the first half were Roberto Soldado, from a flicked
header, and Paulinho, whose strike looked destined for the top corner. Krul
had to react smartly after the break too, using an outstretched boot to stop
Christian Eriksen from point-blank range and Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free kick,
before a diving save thwarted Andros Townsend’s low drive.

Signed by Graeme Souness from Den Haag in 2006 as a 17-year-old, Krul was
restricted by injury last season and played just 24 league games. He
represented Holland at every level from under-15 to under-21 between 2002
and 2011 and has his sights firmly set on being the national team’s No 1 for
the World Cup finals next summer in Brazil.